Process and apparatus for soaking, filtering, and settling of miscella through solidoil-bearing materials and solvent extraction thereof



Jan. 15, 1952 M. BONOTTO 2,582,675

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SOAKING, FILTERING AND SETTLING OF MISCELLA THROUGH SOLID OIL-BEARING MATERIALS AND SOLVENT EXTRACTION THEREOF Filed Aug. 9, 1946 L1Q u/o LEVEL BAFFLE DISCHARGE DPYEPS JNVE/ TOR. MICHELE Bomrm BY. Om

an extraction column Patented Jan. 15, 1952 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SOAKING, FILTERING, AND SETTLING OF MISCELLA THROUGH SOLID OIL-BEARING MATE- -RIALS AND SOLVENT EXTRACTION THEREOF Michele Bonotto, Princeton, N. J.

Application August 9, 1946, Serial No. 689,538

v 4 Claims. 1 .This invention relates to process and apparatus for continuous soaking and/or filtering and settling of miscella through solid oil-bearing materials and solvent extraction thereof.

In solvent-extraction processes a resultant mixture of oil and solvent, which is called miscella, contains foreign-particles of. solid material composed of particles of the oil-bearing process material. 7 In such extraction of oil with solvent from vegetable seeds or from grains or nuts, the oil-bearing material (seeds or grains) is, in order to permit more ready access of the solvent to .the cellular tissue, initially crushed and/or flaked and it has been found in practice that the flaked form of such material offers the most surface to the action of the solvent, but during the flaking operation a certain amount of dust or fines is produced and the flaked material embodying this dust or fines is conventionally fed with the flaked material into the extraction apparatus or column and both flakes and fines are subjected to the extraction process with a solvent. In the subsequent extraction in the extraction column, the mixture of solvent and oil hasa tendency to carry away the fines so fed as it leaves the extractors, the amount of fines thus carried away being in proportion to the efiiciency "of the strainer through which the miscella must pass before leaving the extraction column.

' Various forms of filtering apparatus were, in the commonpractice of the oil extraction industry, employed to remedy this condition in part and settling of the miscella was also employed. Miscella from some oil-bearing materials, de-

pending upon the specific gravity thereof and the fineness of the fines therein, have heretofore 'lrequired only pre-settling while {others have required pre-settling and a final filtering.

In my Patent #2,370,138, dated February 27, 1945, I have fully specified the prior art, and in referring to separate prior art settlings have stated:

When settling of the miscella is used, difiiculty is encountered in handling the solids which constitute the settlings and in recovering the oil and solvent with which the settlings are soaked.

My said patent shows and describes an apparatus and process in which a miscella product of is independently fed through a continuous conveyor-conduit and filtered in a filter section in which the initially fiaked solids of an extractable given material is utilized to provide a filtering medium for said miscella product, and this flaked material after being loaded or having its interstices loaded with fines of the same material in the filtering section is thereafter independently fed to the extraction column in a conventional manner. In this apparatus and process, said filter section is provided with screened draining or outlet portions having perforations or screens in the, walls of the conduit. through which the filtered miscella or filtrate passes. While this apparatus is satisfactory for certain types of material, I have found that with certain other types of materialthe screens become cloggedand it is therefore desirable to provide apparatus in which the use of such screened draining outlets are eliminated.

One of the objects of my present invention is to eliminate, in a conveyor-conduit that is employed in a soaking and/or filtering operation, the necessity for screened draining or outlet portions with perforated or walled sections and to procure an improved result by subjecting process material, preferably while being fed into an extractor to a soaking and/or filtering operation with miscella produced in the extraction of similar material, then discharging such miscella through a settling tank having its settling end connected with a portion or section of said conveyor-conduit to subject such miscella to a finessettling action between its soaking and/or filtering and discharge.

Another object of my. invention 'is to provide in such a conveyor-conduit a filtering section or portion and to subject such miscella to a filtering action through the process material during conveyance thereof, then discharging such miscella through a settling'tank having its settling end connected with a portion or section of said conveyor-conduit to subject such miscella to a fines-settling action between its soaking and/or filtering and discharge.

Still another object of my invention is to provide in said conveyor-conduit for an initial soaking of solid process material in liquid miscella and the settling in a moving or conveyed column of such solid process material of fines produced in the operation of preparing such process material. g

Another object of my invention is to directly connect a continuous conveyor-conduit of the type hereinabove specified with a counter-current extractor and to provide for a continuous movement through the process material being so conveyed in said conduit of miscella from theextractor in a soaking and/or filtering operation and to discharge such miscella through a settling tank directly connected with a settling section or portion of said conveyor-conduit, to load said process material in its passage through the filter-section or portion of: said continuous conveyor-conduit with fines produced in the extractor, and also to load said process material with settled fines also produced in the extractor.

Still another object of my invention is to arrange in said fines-settling section or portion of the conveyor-conduit a settling tank which will at all times enable an efficient and continu ous settling and the automatic adding to a conveyed or moving column of process material? within said conduit of fines from miscella produced in solvent extractor.

Still another object of this invention is to ,connect with a solvent extractor a-continuous con-- veyor-conduit as a material-feeding means therehandling some materials to eliminate or avoid settling in separate or independent-apparatus of the solidfines, whereby the usual difficulties found in handling fines'insuchmaterials are eliminated, and great economy of apparatus is accomplished;

Another object ofmy'inventionis to provide in aunitary apparatus -ofthe type specified; a continuous conveyor-conduit of the drag-chain type as an extractor-feed element as-well a a continuous miscella conduithaving sections'for filteringof miscellathroughprocess material and for settling miscella andifeedingthe settled fines to said process material, whereby the conventional screw-actuated feedmechanism for, the extractor and the perforateddraining section for themiscella outlet are eliminated;

With these andother objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined" as to co.- act and V cooperate with each? other" in the. performance of the functions'and the accomplish merit of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one-"of its adaptationsj'the species or preferred form'illustrated inth'e a'ccompa'riyiing drawingsin'which:

Fig. 1 is'anrillustrative viewpartl'yf injsction Iii) having a direct connection with said conveyor conduit to provide for a settling of fines and a flowing and discharge of material through said settling tank, and the apparatus of my present invention embodies primarily a novel combination of la'counter-current solvent extractor with a continuous conveyor-conduit preferably directly connected thereto and functioning both as a conveyor and as a feeding mechanism of process material for the extraction column, which is preferably prepared in flaked form, while simultaneously providing'a conduit for directly receiving and conducting miscella in counter-current to cause a-fi'ltering' of the miscella through the conveyed process material and a loading of said processmaterial with fines; and also includes the provision in combination with such a continuous conveyor-conduit of a settling tank arranged to automatically discharge its settlings to a column of said process material passing through said'conduit' to provide'for an-outlet and countercurrent-iiow of themiscella and to producez'an additional clarification of the miscella and iadditional loading of the flaked materiahwith settled fines therefrom.

In the preferred embodiment ofmysinvention', I have also improved the process of counter-cur rent oil extraction by providingfor a clarifying of miscella in a continuous operationbyfi'rst percolation and filtering said miscella through a conveyed'or movingcolumn of flaked p'rocess material in counter-current therewith to remove filtered fines therefrom and secondarilyby discharging or decanting such filtered miscella through a settling tank" to remove settled fines therefrom, and in the same operation automatically introducing thereinto during conveying movement thereof the fines settled 'out'*- in" the settlingoperation; thenloadingthe said process material with fines in the percolating and filtering' operation and'lastly feeding'saidfines-enriched process material to an oil-extraction operation in an extractor; I preferablyaccomplish these results in a continuous operation by'a'coun and partly in side elevation of a verticallyrdisposed apparatus embodyingfmy invention and comprising my extraction column andunitarily connected conveyor-conduit; V

Fig.2 is a top plan viewfof my column and connected portions of my'conduit-con'veyor';

Fig. 3 is across-section through my extraction column on the line 3-3. of'Fig. 1 1'ooking;in: the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section throughkmy conveyorconduit'on the line 44-of Fig.1,lookingjnthe direction of the arrows; I V In general terms, the process of my. present invention consists in treating; process-material, preferably while being conveyedtozan extractor by subjecting the same to awashingzorssoaking operation with miscella-producedlin the extraction process. of similar material andsfed in countext-current with :the conveying movement ofsaid 7 material; settling said .miscella imasettling tank ter-current filtering movement of themisoella product" resulting from an extraction operation in the extractor-through solidiprocess'material during-a conveyingand feeding movement thereof to saidextractor by "a?conveyor=conduit,iand

c discharging-or decanting thesaid'filt'eredmiscella through a settling'tank connectedwith' said conveyor-conduit. I also preferably" provide" in my conveyor-conduit for an' initial soaking. of "the process material in the miscella and an'finitial settling and adding to saidmoving columrii of process material of fines produced inthe'fpr'epafration ofsaid material;

Referring now to these drawings,.whichI are illustrative of a preferred embodiment of me.- chanical apparatus forcarrying. outlmyv invene tion, iil'indicates a conventionalvertically-disposed extraction column whichispreferably of the type more fully shown-and described- .in my Patent" #2,.203,666, dated June ll, 1940 though any suitabletype'of extraction column or apparatus -may be employed. One end, and, as shown, the lower end of the column! 8 is provided with a solvent inlet Ii having a suitable'pump l2- and a solid material discharge l3; whichis preferably provided with applicants conventional plug mechanism, one formof which is'illustrated in Fig. l of applicants Patent 2,184,248 and another form of which is illustrated: in applicants Patent #2,203;666, or, -if-desired,- a material outlet such as. shown inappl-icants-Patent'--#2,20d595,

process in the'column I0.

"may be applied between"the'c onduitd't and-the actual outlet for the dischargeofthe'treated solids." The opposite fend has integrally and initially connected therewith a continuous" conveyor-conduit It comprising a plurality or series of liquid and vapor-'tight-continuous' conveyor portions or legs 15', I6; IT," I9and QUE-Said conveyor-conduit includes a stationary casing portion I 4 and a conveyor 'member "'I M'movable continuously therethrough, and is disposed in a substantially upright position at one side of the extraction column I so that said conveyorconduit is polygonal in outline with downwardly and upwardly conveying legs I6 and 20 connected by upper andlower transverse legs I5, I"! and I9. As shown, said conveyor-conduit I4 of said conduit has its upper transverse leg I5 extending secantially across the top portion of the column I!) 'to'one side of ,a conventional vertical shaft Ill Said transverse leg-Ifi is inverted and has an elbow I5 which preferably extends outwardly from said top portion of said column at a substantial incline to a'horizontal plane to enable 'the passage or gravity feeding directly therethrough of miscella produced by the extraction As illustrated, the portion of the 'leg I5 that extends within the column I0 has afeed opening I5 enclosed within prong type shown in Fig. 4, is driven through the conduit or casing I4, as, for example,- by the drive wheel I i on a drive shaft S rotated in conventional manner from any suitable source of power, not shown, said process material will substantially fill the conveyor-conduit and form a moving columnar body therein which is continuously conveyed through the legs 20, I1, I6 and I5 of the conveyor conduit and thence fed directly to the extraction column Ill. The transverse leg I5 of this conveyor I0 functions as a feed mechanism for-the extractor I0 and eliminates the usual feed screw or other feed mechanism.

The connection between said conveyor-conduit elbow I5 and said column I 0 is liquid and vaportight and consequently the miscella product of the extraction process within the column I0 will when it reaches the elbow I5 flow downwardly by gravity into and through said elbow I5 of the inclined leg I5 and thence downwardly through the upwardly-conveying leg I6 of the said conduit I4 in a counter-current movement with process material being conveyed by the conveyor-conduit I4 to the said column I0, and

"during such counter-current movement said miscella will percolate through the columnar bodyof flaked solid process material in said upwardly-disposed conveying leg I6 and thence through a part of the transverse conveyor leg I? to connection at I8 with the bottom or settling end. of a settling tank I8 connected with said transverse leg I'I. The connection at I8 is of larger or increased area relatively to the discharge section I5 and conduit legs I6 and IT,

thus reducing the velocity of the outgoing miscella. After a settling action in the tank I8 the miscella will overflow and be discharged through pipe 22, but the miscella in said conveyor-conduit will also flow upwardly in t e leg 10 to a liquid level to provideran initial soaking Portion or section as'hereinafter more particularly specified.

The material in the leg portion I6 and I! between the miscella inlet andthe connection with 'the' settling tank- I8 will "function as a filter "for the miscella, andthe process material therein 'willfbe loaded with fines, particularly in th interstices of such flaked material, and s'uch loaded fines so filtered out will thus be fed with the process material being conveyed thereby into the extraction column.

In my Patent #2370138 I have shown and described'a method of moving the miscella'in counter-current by draining and discharging ficulty is encountered in handling the solids which constitute the settlings and in recovering theoil and solvent with which the settlings are soaked."

By my present invention, however, I have improved the process of settling miscella by providing in my continuous conveyor-conduit II a settling section or portion I"! in the transverse leg I! and producing a counter-current movement or flow of the miscella through the bottom for settling end of the settling tank I8 and provided with the overflow 22. Preferably, in order to overcome and compensate for friction encountered in the passage of the miscella through "the process material in the filtering portion I6,

I provide space in the upwardly conveying leg I6 for a hydrostatic head 2| which will vary in accordance with the type of material being processed and the viscosity of the miscella.

As illustrated, said settlingtank I8 and transverse-conveyor leg I1 are directly connected at I8 between the filter-leg I6 and the downwardlyconveying leg 20 which, as aforesaid, functions as an initial material soaking portion. As shown,

the downwardly-extending conveyor leg 2ll'is inclined and has a material inlet 2|] to which the hopper 20 is connected and the liquid level 22* in the tank I8 preferably extends to a position belowthe feed spout Ml 'of the feed hopper 20 "The liquid miscella, after being filtered in the filter portion I 6-H, will flow upwardly into and through said settling tank and to an overflow pipe'or conduit 22 connected to the top of said settling tank I8 at said liquidlevel22. T

' The liquidmiscella thus initially filtered and clarified in'the filter-section of the legs' I6 and I1 and the tank I8 will provide a settling for the fines eventually carried over in the miscella and such miscella will consequently be further clarifled, and furthermore the fines settled out from the miscella by said tank I8 will be automaticalsettling tank in my'improved device are auto:

matically fed and introduced by gravity, as aforeq said, into the process material in the conveyor, conduit, the flaked material is not only doubly enriched but any difficultseparate handling of 7' the solid finesconstituting such settlings will he arranged to cause the miscella received from said extraction column to reach liquid level below the solid material inlet of said conduit, and a settling tank having at its settling end a miscella inlet connection with said conveyor conduit below said liquid level to provide a loading of said miscella with settled fines, said settling tank also being provided with a miscella outlet disposed above its settling end to permit decanting of clarified miscella therefrom.

3. The steps in the process of extraction of oil-bearing materials having oil constituents contained in cells and the cells surrounded by membraneous tissues consisting in continuously passing a given process material through an extrac tor-feeding operation, continuously subjecting the solid process-material thus passed through said feeding operation to extractionwith a solvent in which the process material and fines thereof will sink, the production during such extraction of miscella embodying fines of said process material, continuously passing in a, wetting operation miscella produced in said extraction through the solid process material being passed in the said feeding operation, subjecting said miscella to a settling operation in continuation with said wetting operation to clarify the miscella, and adding the settled fines to said process material during said feeding operation thereof to load said process material with such fines.

4. The steps in the process of extraction of oil bearing materials having oil constituents contained in cells and the cells surrounded by membraneous tissues consisting in continuously passing a given process-material through an extractor-feeding operation, continuously subjecting the solid process-material thus passed in the said feeding operation to counter-current extraction with a solvent'in which the process material and fines thereof will sink the production during such extraction of miscella embodying fines of said process-material, passing in counter-current with the solid process material being passed through said feeding operation the miscella so produced from said extraction operation in a soaking and filtering operation to and below a predetermined liquid level, subjecting said miscella to a settling operation below said predetermined liquid level and as a continuation of said soaking and filtering operation, and adding the fines settled out in said settling operation to said process material being passed through said feeding operation.

MICHELE BONOTIO.

" REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 913,751 1 Mills Mar. 2, 1909 2,183,837 Hamilton Dec. 19, 1939 2,206,595 Bonotto July 2, 1940 2,416,196 Mortenson Feb. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 119,134 Germany Apr. 27, 1899 

1. APPARATUS FOR COUNTER-CURRENT SOLVENT-EXTRACTION OF OIL FROM OIL-BEARING MATERIALS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PROCESS-MATERIAL-CONDUIT HAVING SECTIONS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND UPWARDLY, A CONVEYOR CONTINUOUSLY MOVING IN SAID CONDUIT, A FEED INLET AT ONE PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT FOR FEEDING SOLID PROCESS MATERIAL THERETO, MEANS FOR FEEDING MISCELLA CONTAINING FINES TO AND PASSING SAME THROUGH SAID CONVEYOR-CONDUIT IN COUNTER-CURRENT WITH SAID SOLID PROCESS MATERIAL TO A LIQUID LEVEL BELOW SAID FEED INLET FOR SOLID MATERIAL, AND A SETTLING TANK HAVING AT ITS SETTLING END A MISCELLA-INLET CONNECTION WITH SAID CONVEYOR-CONDUIT BELOW SAID LIQUID LEVEL TO PROVIDE A LOADING OF SAID MATERIAL WITH SETTLED FINES, AND SAID SETTLING TANK ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH A MISCELLA OUTLET DISPOSED ABOUT SAID SETTLING END THEREOF TO PERMIT DECANTING OF CLARIFIED MISCELLA THEREFROM. 